London Borough of Camden’s Post

Specialised placements need funding by both Private and Public sector if we are going to make headway. Good placements can change lives

Back in 2021 Hannah Graham presented a written submission to the Scottish Parliament Criminal Justice Committee around the theme of 'Reducing youth offending, offering community justice solutions and alternatives to custody'. Hannah's submission noted the context of community justice and health and welfare with a focus on 'Deaths in Community Justice: People Dying on Community Payback Orders'. This paper resonated with our Community Justice Partnership and in January 2022 we presented this paper to the then Inverclyde Council Health and Social Care Committee. At that time the paper outlined an opportunity to do some internal analysis around those deaths as part of our Strategic Needs and Strengths Assessment (SNSA) for our Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan. We were recently asked to provide an update to our Social Work and Social Care Scrutiny Panel and we presented it yesterday afternoon to our Elected Members. The updated paper provided some context of Justice Social Work activity in Inverclyde around people dying on a CPO, future actions from the Community Justice Partnership and some analysis from our SNSA. Our paper noted that (as Hannah's publication initially did)cause of death is not recorded within the annual publication ‘Justice Social Work Statistics’ so gaining a national understanding of this data is therefore not possible. However, Inverclyde Justice Social Work did undertake an exercise locally using existing social work records with the aim of establishing any general conclusions which might assist with the work of the SNSA. This exercise reinforced the conclusion that the population of individuals subject to CPOs experience multiple complexities and vulnerabilities, with many having had current or recent involvement with other HSCP service. I've linked the paper for any #CommunityJustice colleagues who might find it of interest and happy to take you through our approach. Finally, I'm grateful to Hannah for bringing this matter to our attention. It's really important that we can support our academic partners in providing some local context to their work especially given the rich range of resources in Scotland.

Providing economic supports to families in crisis could provide a better solution than taking children away…. I’m learning so much from people with lived experience/expertise in the child welfare system(s). We must continue to elevate their voices and include them in solution making. #changemakers

We are partnering with the Fund for the Education Success of Students Experiencing Homelessness, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice (FES) and WestEd to announce a NEW study that will assess the needs and patterns of highly mobile youth in various regions across the United States. Highly mobile student populations include:  🧒🏼youth experiencing homelessness 👧🏾youth in foster care 👦🏿youth impacted by the juvenile justice system 👧🏻migratory youth The study will analyze similarities and differences in highly mobile youth, identify positive outcomes, and uplift models that are intentionally serving students who are historically furthest from opportunity. The research can inform policies, funding, and practices to improve cross-sector collaboration between child-serving agencies. This much-needed work will prioritize the education, health, and well-being of students who are often overlooked. Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/ev9JwYNr #WestEd #UCLA #UCLAresearch #UCLACTS  #eduresearch #educationresearch #highlymobileyouth #fosteryouth #homelessyouth #youthinfostercare #juvenilejustice #juvenilejusticesystem #migrantyouth #educationpolicy #edpolicy #edchat #schoolhouseconnection #raikesfoundation #waltersjohnsonfoundation #stuartfoundation

Protecting children requires protecting the family unit. One action we can take, suggested in the post below, is to simplify access to community support. Integrating access to supports will make it easier for families to get the help they need. #SolutionsToThrive #teachersupport #parentsupport #childrensmentalhealth

Let’s talk more about #mandatedsupporting

I stand with Dr. Cindy Blackstock in addressing the significant imbalance highlighted in the recent settlement agreement. The landmark $23-billion lawsuit settlement, aimed at compensating over 300,000 First Nations children and their families for the chronic underfunding of on-reserve child-welfare services, represents a crucial step towards justice. However, the recent developments regarding the additional $55-million deal for legal fees, as opposed to the $40,000 awarded to each affected individual, raises serious concerns. Cindy Blackstock's advocacy has been instrumental in this journey towards equity, and her worries about the disparity in compensation between lawyers and the victims of systemic discrimination resonate deeply with our shared commitment to fair and just treatment for our communities. As we celebrate the progress made, let us also remain vigilant and unified in ensuring that the spirit of this settlement truly honors the hardships and struggles of our people, not just the legal processes that brought us here. The fight for equitable compensation is far from over. #EquityForFirstNations #IndigenousRights #CommunitySolidarity #InclusiveJustice https://lnkd.in/dZRsXsp7

Based on my professional experience, the statistics regarding young people who have experienced domestic violence are often higher than 35%. However, it can be challenging for young individuals who have grown up in environments with domestic violence to recognise and identify it as such

Will today be a day when Pennsylvania takes a step forward for vulnerable children and youth? For 23 years, many have believed that vulnerable children and youth deserve an independent Ombudsman/Advocate available to them just like we offer to older Pennsylvanians. When a child or family encounter the child welfare or juvenile systems, it can be so intimidating, traumatizing even when they encounter well-trained and compassionate people and are navigated toward supports. Too many times (not always!) what follows a report to an abuse hotline results in an intervention that is not healing and invites its own harm, especially when a child is placed in some type of congregate or group home setting or with foster parents or kin who aren’t ready or doing right by the child. Placement also invites another harsh consequence - interrupted or inadequate access to education. When things are off or wrong or real harm inflicted, we ask the injured or already intimidated or previously silenced to outreach to the very system(s) making the decisions that are in question or managing the people inflicting the harm. Today could bring about some change, if the PA House moves forward House Bill 2175 - a bill to create an independent and impartial Ombudsman/Child Advocate. There are so many names of children racing through my mind this am for whom we owe (long owed) this tool, this trusted office and resource. If enacted an ombuds/Advocate will not be a panacea not even close, but it will send a powerful message about needing to rethink our encounters with children and youth. I suspect the fight will be fierce. Forces - long operating in a space that has not been balanced or child or family centered or transparent - have mobilized against such an independent and impartial office. I get it. Change is hard, but the change that is most hard is being the kid whose life is turned upside down and traumatized exposed to a system that is always adult centric and too often about maintaining the status quo, including how public funds are spent. Today is also a reminder two truths can co-exist. There are good people and there is effective policy and practice AND there are some really unprepared and/or abusive people working in systems with poor practice and outcomes. May today be when fear of change (and transparency) no longer trump prioritizing and protecting children. There are likely to be many no votes today, in part, because we still are living in a society where many see children as property or live out the phrase - children are to be seen not heard - let alone believed or valued for their unique personhood. Let's see how the PA House Democratic Caucus PA House of Representatives PA House GOP Human Resources steps up today…..